Gov. Deal to call for special legislative session on Hurricane Michael recovery

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal is calling for a special legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly following the severe impacts of Hurricane Michael. 

The governor notified House Speaker Davis Ralston and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle on Tuesday of his plans to call for a special session, which is set to convene on Tuesday, November 13. 

“Georgia was severely impacted by Hurricane Michael and many communities across our state sustained heavy financial losses,” said Governor Deal. “In response, I will ask the General Assembly to take immediate action and lead the way in spurring rapid economic recovery for southwest Georgia communities. Our state budget also needs to be amended to ensure that we adequately cover our obligations. I hope to work quickly with the General Assembly in the coming days to provide support to the Georgia communities that need it most.”

Speaker Ralston released a statement Tuesday morning, supporting Governor Deal. 

"I support Governor Deal's call for a Special Session of the Georgia General Assembly. We owe it to the citizens and local governments impacted by Hurricane Michael to continue supporting their recovery efforts. As such, we will need to amend our FY 2019 budget to fund the work ahead."

Speaker Ralston said as Georgia petitions the federal government for recovery assistance, he believes the special session will demonstrate both the "severity of the storm's impact and the sincerity of Georgia's commitment to the recovery process."

The regular session of the 2018 General Assembly adjourned sine die on March 29, 2018.